A Case of Coincidence
by RainshadeTheWolf
Summary: 10 years after the events of Weirdmageddon, Dipper Pines moves into the small town of Sky Pass, a close relative to Gravity Falls. He aims for a peaceful life as a photographer, but when strange things begin showing up on film, will he need to call his family and friends from childhood to help? NO PAIRINGS YET
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, here I go with** _ **another**_ **story. Ah, well, what can I say? If you find any errors, please, please,** _ **please**_ **tell me, okay? I hope you enjoy, and I love feedback!**

* * *

Mason 'Dipper' Pines slid onto the café stool, folded his arms on the counter, and rested his head on them. The woman behind the counter smiled briefly.

"Coffee, Pines?" She asked brusquely, used to his antics by now.

"Yes please. Thank you, Margaret." Was his grumbled reply. "I stayed up all night solving complex mathematical equations, and contemplating the meaning of the universe!" He proclaimed tiredly.

"Oh, really? Well, what is the meaning of the universe?" She asked, taking the obvious bait.

"Coffee."

She laughed, unable to hold the straight face. She stepped into the kitchen, and made a cup of black coffee, with three sugars. Stepping back out, she set it with a faint _clink_ in front of the tired 23 year old.

He had moved into the area a few months ago, apparently liking the scenery. Mary Sue, the youngest waitress, had asked what the scenery had to do with anything.

"Oh, lots. I'm a photographer; if my scenery isn't right, then the photos will be horrible." He had said. "Maybe you'd like to take a picture of me, hmmm?" She said, winking. Pines, as they all called him, merely smiled and drowned himself in his coffee. "Playing hard to get, huh? I'll have you soon!" She promised. He had given her a playful smile, one that spoke of a person who knew more than they let on.

8 months later, and Mary Sue was just as single as Pines. Nobody except Margaret knew his first name, and the girls had all made a game of guessing it.

For his part, Mason hadn't really intended on getting so attached to the little café on the side of the road.

Quite coincidental, really.

He had just moved in, and had decided to take a little walk. Halfway down the road, he had spotted the worn sign; "Sunny Side-Up Café." Something about it, maybe the lettering that reminded him so much of the Mystery Shack, or the quirky name, had drawn him in. Now, he spent quite a bit of time there.

Not all of it, of course. He _was_ a photographer, after all. He took pictures of the surrounding wildlife, the tall trees, and the babbling brooks. He enjoyed life in Sky Pass, even if it was dull compared to Gravity Falls.

His sister had decided to move there, when she turned 18. She had assumed Mason wanted to, as well, but when she told him to "Start packing, Bro-bro! We're headed to Gravity Falls!" he had given her a confused look. She 'reminded' him that they were moving back, and it was at this point that he explained, not for the first time, that he had planned on going to college in Piedmont.  
She had been very upset, but moved to Gravity Falls anyway.

Mason thought it was probably out of spite, for him or his parents he wasn't sure. A couple years later, he had moved to Sky Pass to pursue a career in photography.

He was snapped out of his reverie by Margaret asking a question.  
"So, Pines, got any family?"

He smiled, thinking of his sister and parents.  
"Yes, my parents, and my sister."

She nodded sagely. "Older or younger sister?"

A common question. "Older, I guess. Somehow."

She raised an eyebrow, and he elaborated. "She's my twin, and was born before me, but with her maturity level, people always assume she's younger."

"Ah. That makes sense. What's her name?"

He pondered giving it out, and decided it was time for the waitresses to have a hint, for he could see them in the kitchen, all listening. So far, Margaret had been the only one to extract any useful information from the loner.

"Mabel."

Furious whispering sprung up in the back, and finally, Mary Sue stepped out.

"I," She drew it out, "Know your name, Pines!" She cried triumphantly.

"Oh? And what, pray tell, is my name fair Mary Sue?" He teased.

"Maxwell!" She declared proudly.

"Nope."

A string of profanity followed his announcement. He smiled.

"And my secret identity remains a secret!"

More swearing.

Although Mason had lived in Sky Pass for 8 months now, he had yet to visit the neighboring town, Gravity Falls, even to see his sister. They still texted, and called, and even one skype call, but they hadn't seen each other face to face since she moved. He doubted she even knew he lived so close by; he hadn't told her.

Maybe their parents had. _Probably not_ , he relented. _They never tell us anything._

He took the final swig off of his coffee, before standing and steeping outside, turning to wave goodbye over his shoulder.

That's why he hadn't seen the red head that was carrying a stack of papers, until he slammed into her.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so, so sorry! Here, let me help you…" he trailed off, realizing that her papers where being scattered by the wind, and stooped to catch them. He collected them into one untidy pile, babbling uncomfortably and apologizing, before shoving them towards the young woman.

His eyes widened as he took in her appearance, and made the connection to his childhood.  
"Wendy?" He asked, surprised to see her here. She stared at him, taking her papers and trying to place his face.

He had just opened his mouth to explain who he was when her jaw dropped open and she let out a shriek that startled him.

"DIPPER!"

* * *

Wendy's day had been quiet, and ordinary.

Uncommonly so, considering things where never quiet and ordinary when Mabel was around. She had opened the Shack, and welcomed an elderly pair, before being told by Soos that they needed some copies made of a flyer. She had headed to the shop in town, only to discover that it was closed. Frustrated, the 26 year old woman hopped into her car and drove to the next town over, Sky Pass.

Upon arriving, she noticed a parking lot outside a little café called the Sunny Side-Up Café, and decided to take advantage of it. After making several dozen extra copies (just to spite Soos, who had paid for the copies, for sending her on such a tedious trip), she had headed back to her car. Distracted by the wind blowing her long red hair into her face, she didn't notice the young brunette until he walked into her. Fumbling and losing her hold on the papers, they scattered in the wind.

The young man had started apologizing, but there was something familiar about him that she couldn't quite place. It was on the tip of her tongue. He straightened up, and handed her papers back. His expression suddenly morphed from embarrassed to shock.  
"Wendy?" And it clicked. Although it was much deeper than before, it was still the same voice of the nephew of her ex-boss, her best friend Mabel's brother, Dipper Pines.

"DIPPER!" She shrieked, waving her papers wildly.

He doubled over in laughter, and Wendy was left to wonder why. After laughing his fill, he righted himself and wiped away a tear.  
"I'm sorry! I just haven't been called that in a few years! Not since Mabel called me that." He grinned. "I go by Mason now." He stuck his hand out. "Mason Pines, but you already knew that." His hand was warm, and his smile was warmer. Wendy couldn't believe that this was the same anxiety ridden child she had kind of looked after 10 years ago. "How about this," Dipper-no, Mason- started. "Let's go back to my house, and we can catch up a bit?" Wendy did the only logical thing.

She agreed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Aww! Thank you all for the support! I appreciate it, especially considering I had some mean comments on one of my other stories. If you ask a question, I'll respond right here!**

* * *

Mason opened the door to the apartment. While he had said house, he really lived in a two bedroom apartment. It was affordable and good quality.

Plus, it had a nice view of the town.

Wendy stepped in as Mason dropped his keys on the counter. He glanced back at her, slightly nervously. He hoped his apartment wasn't too dirty.

Then again, he knew it wasn't. He kept his possessions, and living space, immaculately clean, a side effect of OCD. The only exception to this rule was his 'office'. Really, it was the other room, besides his bedroom. It had the best view, one of a large forest that reminded him of Gravity Falls. Scattered all around, thumbtacked to the walls, taped everywhere, where photographs. A little closet, off to the side, had a dark room in case he needed it. He glanced over at the office, and realized the door was cracked open. He strode across the room, and closed the door with a soft whump.

He stepped into the living room to find her standing awkwardly. He gestured to the plush couch, in front of his low coffee table. A newspaper was on it, along with a stack of photos, but otherwise it was clear.

"Want anything to drink? Coffee, soda, um, tea?" He asked, hoping she wouldn't question about alcohol. He, personally, didn't enjoy drinking. He had been made fun of because of this fact, but he didn't care. Drunk people made mistakes; he didn't plan to be one of those.

"Coffee, 5 sugars, and milk or creamer if you have it." Mason smiled in relief and quickly mixed up the brew. He grabbed a Sprite for himself. He opened it with an audible hiss. He took a swig, and set it down on the table, setting himself down in a worn armchair across from wendy. She peered at him from over the edge of her mug. He smiled, and leaned back into his tattered, yet comfy armchair. She finally set the cup down.

"So..." She began.

He smiled. "So..."

"How have you been?" She started, gracelessly attempting at small talk.

"You suck at small talk, you know." He replied, smirking gently. Her face flushed, and she picked up the paper and chucked it at him. Yelping, he ducked out of the way.

"Oi!" He snatched up the newspaper, and she plucked a magazine out of her purse, rolling it up. They launched at each other with awesome warrior battle cries, resulting in many resounding thumps and accompanying squeals of surprise. The both froze when the old lady who lived above Mason banged on the floor, caterwauling about young punks. They glanced at each other, before simultaneously cracking up, before finally returning to their respective seats.

"Okay, that was extremely childish." Laughed Wendy, breathless.

"But fun?" Asked Mason.

"But fun." agreed Wendy.

"Anyway, what are you doing here in Sky pass?" Asked Mason curiously.

"I could ask you the same thing, Pines! Last _I_ heard, you were still in Piedmont, attending some big wig college, while I had to deal with your sister and all of her… Mabel-ness!" She exclaimed. He gave a sheepish chuckle, and rubbed the back of his head. "Did you ever hear what classes I was taking?" a head shake. "I decided on photography, actually. I enjoy capturing wildlife, and natural surroundings on film.

"Oh. Is that why you moved up here?" asked Wendy.

"Yep! I think it's great. I decided to go on a prolonged camping trip, in the woods, with just me, the wildlife, and my camera." He paused. "Oh, and food."

Laughing slightly, Wendy checked the time and stood up with a regretful look on her face. "As much as I would love to stay here and chat all afternoon, I have to get back to work." Her face lit up. "But, you can have my cell number!" She beamed, and scribbled it down on a piece of paper that seemed to appear magically from her purse. She shoved it at him, and sauntered out the door. Shaking his head at her antics, he picked up her cup and headed to the kitchen, setting it in the sink. He finished his soda, and stepped into his office.

Mason grabbed his messenger bag, with his camera and other things in it, and headed out into the great beyond.

* * *

Wendy hadn't really been sure what to expect at Mason's house. As a kid, he had always been a relatively messy person, leaving clothes and things everywhere. She was relieved to find, however, that his house appeared to be clean. She watched him waltz around his home for a few seconds, doing this and that, before gesturing and telling her to sit down. She sat on the plump couch, enjoying how she just seemed to sink right into it. Mason asked her what her drink of choice would be, and she was proud, in a weird way, that he didn't offer alcohol. She accepted her coffee, and marveled at how he had grown.

He was in no way the anxious teen she had watched. He'd grown up tall, and lean. He wasn't very strong looking, more of a runner's body, but he held himself with confidence that hadn't been there in his youth. His hair was still a rather short length, but the stubble creeping down the sides of his face made up for it. His face was surprisingly acne clear, and he seemed to have a permanent half-smile situated on his lips.

All in all, Dipper-Mason now- had grown up very nicely.

A brief conversation (including a pillow fight) later, she realized that Soos would be getting mad at her if she didn't come home soon. She was reluctant to leave. Then, out of the blue, she got the idea to give him her phone number. After scribbling it on a paper from her purse(nothing important, she hoped), she rushed out the door and hopped into her car, eager to get home and tell the Stans and Soos, and everybody else that Dipper-Mason, she reminded herself- was only a few miles away.

* * *

As he stepped back into his apartment, Mason was excited to see how the pictures had come out. He had enjoyed taking them, and was eager to reap the benefits.

Setting down and printing them was probably the most boring part of the whole process. Hours, it felt like, but could only have been about 15 minutes. He flipped through them quickly, a smile slowly stretching across his face.

 _Tree, squirrel, fox, flowers, more trees, a stream cool rock-wait_! He froze. What was that? Behind the rock, there was a shadow. Something that obviously didn't belong there. He squinted, and peered closer. It looked kind of like a…

He dropped the picture in shock, and stumbled back a few steps.

It looked like a gnome.


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm back again! In case I haven't mentioned this, I will update Case of Coincidence every Thursday. I plan on doing a series of one shots, as well. Anyway, thank you to those of you who viewed, favorited and followed CoC!**

* * *

A gnome… no way. Mason gave hard swallow. There was _no way_ that it was a gnome! It's Sky Pass! Normal, ordinary Sky Pass. He swallowed again. _I got to get to the bottom of this;_ He decided, packing his bag again. He opened the door quietly, locking it when he was done.

As he headed into the woods, thoughts tumbled about in his head, vying for attention. It took him a while before he had managed to hike his way up to where he began seeing trees, rivers, and rocks that appeared vaguely familiar to him.

He finally stumbled upon the rock cluster as dusk began to fall. He peered suspiciously at the rocks, before creeping around. His heart jumped into his throat as he spotted the red cap.

Definitely a gnome-like shape… in fact, it looked a bit like Shmebulock. He shifted closer, and the silhouette didn't move. He, feeling quite foolish, picked up a stick and poked at it. It fell over, and he bit back a cry of surprise. Calming down, he pulled his phone out and turned the flashlight app on, beaming the shining light at the alleged gnome.

He stared at it, his mouth agape as he realized _what_ it was.

It was a lawn ornament. It was old, and worn, with cracks and moss growing out of parts. It looked like it could have been there for ages before he had disturbed it, and probably would have stayed for ages had he not discovered it. He let out a sigh of relief.

Suddenly his face lit up. What would Mabel say if she had seen his pathetic display? Or worse, Wendy? He put his phone away after snapping a picture, and dropped his face into his hands, thoroughly embarrassed. Mason _could not_ believe _he had been so stupid!_ How? Was he really still this paranoid, ten years after leaving that place?

He felt so frustrated, with himself, with the gnome ornament, even with Wendy and Mabel, even though they both had _nothing_ to do with this entire situation.

As he trudged, still seething, back through the forest, he didn't hear the crunching of footsteps behind him, or the sound of heavy breathing. He did hear the sound of something large smacking into a tree, but figured he was being paranoid. _Still clinging to the past, eh Pines?_ He thought bitterly.

As he made his way home, he felt a prickling on the back of his neck, and had a disturbing thought. _What if_ something _is following? Like something… unnatural._ No, wait. Don't think that.

He lay down to sleep that night, blissfully unaware of the things that lurked outside his window.

* * *

Wendy stepped into the Mystery Shack, a stack of papers under her arm. Soos stared at her from where he was restocking snow globes, and Mabel peered out from behind the cash register. Wendy beamed, turned the sign from _open_ to _closed_ (after checking for any potential marks-customers. Customers), and headed into the conjoined living room, Mabel and Soos following.

"Wendy, why did you close shop?" asked Mabel, quizzical brown eyes searching her face. Soos nodded, and the Stans turned to look at her. She beamed happily, and plopped herself down on the new couch.

"This is why!" She exclaimed, pulling out her phone and flicking through her pictures to find the one of Dip- _MASON_ she had taken. He didn't know she took it, so he wasn't exactly looking at the camera.

Stan's eyebrows shot up, and Ford's crinkled together. Mabel squealed in joy, and Soos frowned in confusion.

"Wendy, I don't get it. Who's that?" Asked Stan. Wendy smiled a triumphant sort of smile, before flashing it in his face again. "Don't you recognize him, Mr. Pines?" When the confusion didn't lift of his or his brother's face, she gave an exasperated sigh and stood next to Mabel.

" _Look!"_ suddenly, Ford's eyes went wide. "Don't tell me that's Dipper?" he inquired, and suddenly Stan's mouth dropped open, and Soos' snapped into a smile.

"WHAT?!" Cried Stan and Ford simultaneously, before peering closely at the picture, then glancing at the picture of Mabel and Dipper they had from that summer, 10 years ago.

" _Wow.._." breathed Stan.

"Didn't even recognize him…"

Wendy couldn't help the grin that split her face in half. "Well, what do you say we invite him over for dinner?"

Nobody had any complaints.

It was at this point, though, that she realized that while she had given him _her_ number, she didn't have _his_.

She cursed her stupidity, and resigned herself to take the drive up to Sky Pass, next chance she got. She, and the Stans, began talking about convincing Dipper to move up with them, or at least _into_ Gravity Falls.

In the middle of one of these conversations, Wendy's phone began to ring and vibrate, and she stared down at the _Unknown Number_ flashing across the screen. Nervously, she answered the phone.

"Hello?" She asked, wondering who would call her.

 _"Um, hi. Wendy? It's Mason."_

Her face lit up.

"Hey, Pines!"

A laugh. _"Hey, Corduroy."_

"What's up? Anything you need?" Stan and Ford were staring at her. _'Dipper?'_ mouthed Ford. Wendy nodded.

" _Ah, well, I realized that you didn't have my number, even though I had yours, and figured I should call. I hope I wasn't interrupting anything?"_ He sounded worried at the prospect, and Wendy smiled again.

"Nah, dude. You're cool. Actually, I was talking to Mr. Pines, and we were wondering if you would like to come up for dinner, like tomorrow?"

A pause.

 _"Uh, sure! When should I…?"_

She pulled the phone away from her ear to address the other Pines in the room. "When should he get here?" She asked. They glanced at each other. "Six thirty."

She smiled, slightly relieved, and relayed the time to Mason. They chatted a little bit more after that, before he finally relented, and explained that he had to go. He was hoping to get another job, seeing as photography was slow-going. She told him to call her whenever, and hung up.

Adding him to her contacts, along with the picture she had discreetly taken, she smiled and turned her phone off.  
"So," Started Stan.  
"Is he coming up?" Finished Ford.

She considered looking downcast for a fleeting moment-it _would_ be funny-before a huge grin spread across her face. "Yup!"

They looked relieved, and smiled as well.


	4. Chapter 4

**Welcome back! Thank you to rwbygirl for your comments! This one is probably short, but I try to make them each about 1000 words.**

* * *

Mason opened the drawers to his bureau, carefully slipping aside piles of meticulously folded shirts. He had already grabbed out a pair of nice, dark blue jeans and a pair of socks. He knew exactly what shirt he wanted, and where it was, but it was a little difficult to get to it. He pulled it out triumphantly, and unfolded the dark green button up shirt. He pulled it on over a black undershirt, and diligently pulled his socks on. Next was his brown hiking boots, and a dark gray plaid jacket. He shut off his bedroom light, and stepped into the hallway. He made his way to the kitchen, and shut the lights off in there, too. Last of all, he grabbed his phone off of the charger in the living room, and made his way to the door. Giving his apartment one last glance, he closed the door, locking it. He took the stairs at a leisurely pace, not at all worried about the time.

He knew he would make it in time, after all.

Opening the door to his old truck, he slammed it hard (sometimes it wouldn't close so it was best to be cautious). He turned the key in the ignition, and with his truck starting with a content purr, he pulled out onto the highway, headed towards the place he spent his most memorable summer.

* * *

Mabel sighed in exasperation. Grunkle Stan wasn't sure if he should go formal, Grunkle Ford wasn't sure if he should do informal, Soos looked somewhere in between, and Wendy was utterly casual. Mabel herself had a sweater vest on over a long sleeved shirt, along with leggings under a skirt. She grabbed the hairbrush, and chucked it so it bounced off of Grunkle Stan, hit Ford, and landed in front of Soos. Wendy cheered, and the three aforementioned glared at the youngest Pines in the room.

"Why are you also panicked? It's _just_ Dipper!" She declared angrily, not seeing what all the fuss was about. Stan, Ford and Soos looked appropriately sheepish, and decided to do casually-formal.

They had decided to go to dinner at a quiet restaurant that no one seems to be able to remember the name of.

Stan was the first to arrive, along with Ford and Mabel. Soos came next.

"Can I help you?" Asked the Waitress, Deedee.

"Not yet, thank you. We're waiting for two more people." Mabel smiled. Deedee smiled brightly, and walked off to help some other guests. Mabel's phone vibrated on the table, and she glanced down to see a text from Wendy. _'Running late. Sorry! 3'_ Mabel smiled, and responded with a quick _'K. Cya soon!'_ The door opened, and in stepped Dipper.

* * *

Mason may or may not have gotten lost.

In his defense, he had never been here, and had not been in Gravity Falls in 10 years. He finally pulled up, and made sure to lock the door to his car. He opened the door, and quickly scanned the room. Locating his family plus Soos, he swiftly made his way over to them. His sister sat with her back to him, so he swept up behind her and immediately plonked his hand on her head. She squealed, and whirled around while attempting to stand. The result was her falling. Luckily, Mason was there to catch her. He set her upright, laughing.

"Well, hello there stranger!" She cried, hugging him.

"Hey, Mabel. Have a nice fall?" He grins back, sliding into the seat between her and Soos. Stan and Ford are sitting across from him, and an open seat is between Ford and Mabel. _For Wendy,_ Mason thinks. _I hope._

* * *

Wendy was seriously late. She was going to be the last one to arrive! It wasn't her fault! Her car broke down, so she had to hitch a ride with her brother. Then, he had decided to stop and help some hobo on the side of the road. Realizing how late it was getting, she pulled out her phone. _'Running late. Sorry!'_ she hesitated a minute. It was just Mabel, right? _'3'._ There. Now she was less worried. Her ringtone filled the silence, and she clicked the phone on again. _'K. Cya soon!'_ –Mabel. She smiled, and whacked her brother upside the head for his sly comment about significant others. "It was Mabel." His face immediately became serious. _He_ obviously remembered the time he had tried to steal some of Mabel's candy. He still had scars on his arm from her teeth. Turning away with a smile, she watched the scenery pass through the dirty window of the truck.

Stepping into the restaurant, she immediately picked out the loudest table in there. Smiling and making her way over to them, she took Dip-Mason in again, still not able to believe that _that_ is what he turned into. She flopped down in the open chair, and set her purse beside her.

"Hey, _Mason_!" She beamed, over enunciating his name.

"Hiya, _Wendy_!" He responded with his own crooked smile.

* * *

Mason struggled to make light conversation with his family for the first few minutes. He loved them, sure, but he had had minimal contact with _all_ of them for 10 years. Ford had stared the conversation about his current life. "So, Dipper, what are you doing now? I mean, what's your job? How are you getting along in life?"

Mason gave a hard swallow. "Ah, well I go by Mason now." Surprise flickered on everyone's face. "It _is_ my given name," He hastily adds. Mabel nods, having known this. "Anyway, I'm actually a photographer. I haven't had much luck lately, but I also haven't had time to fully explore Sky Pass' woods. A few weeks ago, though, I found this beautiful waterfall and took several pictures…" he hesitated. Mabel took a cue. "Do you have any on you?"

"Yes, but…" He was strangely nervous about showing his family his pictures. Stan, who tried to toughen him up as a child, Ford who saw his academic potential, and told him he should go to a good science-y college and Mabel who thought he was going to do whatever she wanted to do.

"Go on, Dip!" Mabel encouraged. Mason pulled out his phone, where he kept digital files of all his photographs. He pulled up the files containing his waterfalls, and passed them around. They were scrutinized with awe.

Conversation went a lot easier after that.

Then Wendy arrived.

* * *

 **Ooh, 1,099 words!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi all! Welcome back! So, thank you to rwbygirl (AGAIN! STILL!) and Bluefish for commenting! I try hard to write well, and am actually planning on being a professional writer. Haha! I was thinking of doing a few chapters in first POV. What do you all think? Anyway, here's the next chapter!**

* * *

After Wendy arrived, conversation was a lot easier. Mason ended up having a nice chat with Grunkle Ford about science, then a conversation with Soos about the disrepair of the Mystery Shack. At some point, their food arrived and all conversation cut off as they ate. It was surprisingly good, and they all had a desert. Mason checked the time, and announced that he had to be getting home. Saying goodbye and promising to meet up again soon, Mason hopped into his truck, and started the long-ish drive home.

* * *

"So, what do you all think?" asked Wendy, curious. Stan and Ford shared a glance, and Mabel grinned at Soos and Wendy.

"Dip- _Mason,_ " Ford hastily corrected, still not used to the name. "seems to have grown up quite nicely. I never dreamed he would become a photographer, however."

Stan nodded. "It suits him."

Soos smiled, and nodded as well. "Yeah, _Mason's_ all cool, dudes." Wendy smirked, happy with this. Next time, maybe they could get a group picture!

* * *

Unknown to the group inside, or Mason, Pacifica Northwest and Gideon Gleeful sat, crouched in shrubbery. "Gleeful, this had _better_ not be a trick!" Hissed Pacifica, already angry about having to be out so late, and crouching in bushes, nonetheless!

"It's not, Pacifica! Honest! I heard it from Soos! He says that Dipper Pines is in town tonight!" Protested Gideon. "This had better not be about some sort of petty vengeance!" warned Pacifica. She got no response. "Oh, _grow up!_ Your _20 years old now!_ I CAN'T believe your still on about that!" She whispers furiously, moving to stand. " _Wait!"_ hisses Gideon, grabbing her arm and tugging her back down. They watch as a tall brunette steps out of the restaurant, smiling faintly. He steps over to a truck, hopping in. The vehicle revs to life, and goes roaring down the highway, to who knows where.

Pacifica turned to Gideon. _'Was that…?'_ she mouthed. He nodded, his face filled with an unnatural pallor. ' _Oh…'_ her eyes go wide.

* * *

Mason threw his jacket onto his bed, pulling of his socks. He had already left his shoes at the door. Stepping into the light of the hallway, he padded down to his study. He paused in the kitchen to grab a soda, and then continued down to the open door of his 'office'.

 _Wait._ Open? He frowned. _'I'm sure I left it closed… huh."_ No matter. He pushed it open all the way, and immediately noticed that something wasn't right. For one, all of his pictures where scattered about, as if a hurricane had blown through. For another, several pictures where taped to the walls, and had parts circled in a red marker. _What's going on…?_ Inside the red circles, there are faint images of things Mason would rather forget.

* * *

 **I'm so sorry that it's so short, but I'm running out of time! I honestly hate writing accents, so sorry about Soos and Gideon's parts.**

 **Although, I really like it when British people in books are all like "Imma call** _ **you**_ **love, and Imma call** _ **you**_ **love!" Lol.**


	6. Chapter 6

**HI! Welcome back! I'm being 'consistent'! Thank you to Bluefish and rwbygirl, as always. To all of you, I was wondering what kind of pairing you would want? I may or may not even have pairings, I'm just curious. Thank you! Enjoy!**

* * *

Mason tried to swallow the lump forming in his throat, but it seemed determined to weld itself in place. Taking staggering strides forward, he pulled the photos off the wall with shaking hands. These images… he remembered taking all of them, but hadn't noticed the _things_ in them before.

His hands froze as he got to the last one. _How…? How is this possible? He should be gone! Dead._

In a sick replication of a 'selfie', square in the center of the picture was a triangle. Not any triangle, however. It was Bill Cipher, the dream demon who almost took over Gravity Falls, maybe even the whole world, 10 years ago.

 _That Damn Dorito!_

Quickly surveying the other photos, he finds evidence of supernatural being in Sky Pass. Gnomes, Manotaurs, and other unspeakable things. He swallows hard, backing up until he hits the wall. Sliding down with a _thump,_ he tries to decide what to do.

 _Do I ignore it? Or maybe investigate? What do I do? WHAT DO I DO?_

A small voice in the back of his head hissed angrily, _'You know what to do.'_

I do, thought Mason. And he pulled out his phone.

* * *

Wendy hummed as she washed the dishes in her small apartment. _I wish I had done these_ before _I went to dinner,_ she thinks despairingly. If Mason's apartment had been small, her apartment was miniscule. A kitchen, bedroom and bathroom, along with a tiny area for a couch and a TV. She didn't mind though. It's not like she needed much space. Her phone vibrates on the counter next to her, and she wipes a hand on her pants. Picking it up, she sees that it's a text from Mabel.

 _Wndy(1). Need u ASAP! Gnkl (2) St+Fd (3) here 2._

 _-Mble (4)_

Wendy frowned, and shut off the water. Setting her last (thankfully) plate in the draining rack, she dried off her hand. Grabbing her phone and keys, she stepped out into the hallway and locked her door. Hurrying down the stairs, she climbed into her brother's car that she borrowed - _stole-_ and took off down the road.

Judging by the hurried typing, along with the shortened names, it was important. Without realizing it, she began to drive a little faster.

* * *

Mabel paced around the living room, waiting for Wendy to arrive. She wished she had Dipper's contact information, too, so she could text or call him. Unfortunately, he had changed phones a while back and she never got his new number.

Hearing the sound of gravel crunching outside, she rushed to the porch to watch Wendy pull up. Bolting out onto the lawn, she ripped her door open, gripped Wendy's wrist, and dragged her back inside. "Woah, dude! Calm down!" Wendy says, stumbling behind. Mabel doesn't, though. This is of the utmost importance!

"Mabel! What on earth is wrong with you?" Wendy growls, angry at being dragged through the house.

"Bill's statue is gone."

What?! That can't… "That can't be true."

Mabel nodded furiously. Pulling her out back, she dragged her through the forest. The entire way, she explained about how she visits the stone to make sure everything is always there, and today she went out and it was gone. "Grunkle Stan and Grunkle Ford are there now, making sure it didn't just shift or get carried off."

Wendy felt some hope at this thought, but figured it was unlikely. It had remained stationary for 10 years; it was unlikely that it had moved only now.

"Does Mason know?" She asked around the hot lump in her throat, tempting her to cry.

Mabel shook her head. "I don't have a fast way to get in contact with him." She sounded apologetic. "Could you, maybe…?"

Wendy reached for her pocket, where her phone was and realized that she must have left in her car.

"It's in my car. I'll go get it-" Mabel shook her head.

"No, _I_ will. You need to go talk to Grunkle Stan and Ford. I'll be back!" She bolted back into the underbrush like a startled rabbit, quickly disappearing out of sight. "Wait! You need my keys…" She felt for them in her other pocket, and realized that Mabel must have pick-pocketed them in a moment of distraction. A brief smile flickered across Wendy's face, only to be extinguished by the reality of the situation.

Stumbling into the clearing, she spied Stan and Ford scrutinizing the area for any signs, any signs at all. She stood awkwardly for several moments whilst waiting the return of Mabel, and her phone.

The wait was not a long one. Crashing through the underbrush, phone extended came Mabel. Wendy gripped the device, smiling at Mabel, and tapping the password in quickly. Scrolling through her contacts, she was startled by the vibration.

 _Incoming call; Dipper Pines._

Her thumb was on the _answer_ button before she even really thought about it.

" _Bill's back."_

"I know."

* * *

 **I apologize for the small amount of swearing, but I feel that every time Dipper/Mason thought about Bill, he would curse his name.**

 **Wendy**

 **Grunkle**

 **Stan + Ford**

 **Mabel**


	7. Chapter 7

When Mabel Pines had turned 18, she had decided to move to Gravity Falls. Assuming her twin brother was on board, she was caught way off guard when he informed her that he was planning to go to college in Piedmont. Hurt, Mabel had left in a huff.

Maybe she was spiting her parents, or maybe it was aimed at him. Either way, it didn't matter. After successfully finding an apartment, she decided that working at the Mystery Shack was good enough for her. She hadn't spoken to Dipper in years, so when she got a cryptic text – _Hi Mabel. It's Mason. -_ She had been quite surprised. Not sure if it really _was_ her twin, she quickly called the number.

"Hello?" came her brother's unmistakable voice from the other end of the line. She promptly squealed, "Dipper!" and plopped down for a long chat.

After exchanging skype names, conversation became constant. She had yet to find out where he lived, and what he was doing, but that was fine by her.

Imagine her surprise when Wendy came back with the news that she had found Dipper, and that he was only one town away! Her life had been going well so far, and this just added another plus.

* * *

Wendy Corduroy, after turning 18, took off from Gravity Falls. She spent 5 years traveling around the world, picking up on languages, and customs, before deciding she was done with travel and returned home to Gravity Falls. Declining the offer to move back in with her father and three brothers, she got herself an apartment and a job at the diner. Working from 6 in the morning to 11 suited her just fine, and she used the afternoons to work on her book. She had secretly always wanted to write a book, and now she was realizing her dream.

Running errands for the Mystery Shack eventually turned into an afternoon job, so she found herself pulling all-nighters more often, but it was okay. She got to hang out with Mabel, who had turned into a really cool adult.

It was really just a stroke of luck that she had gone to Sky Pass instead of Mabel. Honestly, though? She was glad she had.

Her brother, Mark, had decided to become a mechanic and was fixing up her car. He was 24.

Maxwell had decided he wanted to be an adventurer, and took off. They sometimes got postcards. He was 18.

The youngest, Milo, hadn't decided on a career yet. He was only 15, so he had time. He dabbled in all sorts of things, from playing instruments to political debates. He was by far the smartest Corduroy, so they were all putting their faith in him.

Manly Dan had yet to retire, but he was noticeably slower at chopping trees. There were gray hairs in his beard, and a thinning spot on his head but don't tell him.

All in all, Wendy didn't have many complaints about life as of yet. She was only 26, though.

* * *

 **Hi guys, kind of a filler chapter but I wanted to get these out here. I** _ **do**_ **have another chapter half-written, and it will get published this week I hope.**

 **Anyway, thank you to Bluefish for noticing the discrepancies in my last chapter. I fixed them, I think, but if you could check that would be awesome.**

 **I think Wendy was 15-16 in the show. She had three unnamed brothers, but I named them. I don't know why I did all 'M' names.**

 **The oldest brother, Mark Deacon Corduroy, was 14 in the show.**

 **Maxwell Dimitri Corduroy was 8 in the show.**

 **Milo Damion Corduroy was 5 in the show.**

 **These are not actual ages or names, simply a work of fiction by me.**

 **Anyway, I'm opening like an author-reader Q & A. If you have questions about me, my writing, or where I plan to take this story, please leave a review! I will get to them as soon as possible.**

 **Do svidaniya, (see you later)**

 **~Rainy**

 **(P.S: Bluefish: MasWen)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Privet! Or in English, Hi! (Sorry, learning Russian) So, welcome back. I have a proposition for you all. I want** _ **all**_ **of you to respond to this, okay? Do you think I should do 1** **st** **P.O.V? Let me know what you think! Thank you to the guests who commented, and of course to Bluefish and rwbygirl. To the guest who asked about Wendy's brothers age, I wiki'd them, checked out their pictures, then made a best guess. Haha!**

 **Edit: Dude, guys! 899 views! HOLY COW!**

* * *

" _How do you know?" asked Wendy over the phone. Mason gives a hard swallow, nervously chewing on his lip._

" _I, um, I found pictures on my walls. One was of Bill…"_

 _A pause._

 _"Dipper, I think we should meet up. Soon. Drive over as soon as possible, okay?"_

 _Mason let her get away with the nickname, just this once._

Mason paced restlessly, his brow furrowed slightly. _Should I go? I'm not really of much use, it's not like I can_ do _anything to help them out,_ he thought, his pacing speeding up. _Yeah, there's really no reason for me to go, right? They used to need me for the journal, but now they have Ford for that. So, I can stay here and nothing will change. That settles it; I'm not going._

As soon as he had come to this decision, his phone dinged. He stared at it for a minute, before picking it up and tapping the 'home' button. It was an unknown number.

 _Dipper! Lucinda!_

- _Your lovely sister, Mabel._

The message was so abrupt, and unexpected, that a sudden trill of nervous laughter broke out from his closed up throat.

Mabel always knew what to say.

* * *

Wendy stared at the text Mabel had sent to Dipper. _Lucinda...?_ "Okay, I give. What's the story behind _that?"_

Mabel grinned.

"Well, it all started in our junior year of high school. There was this girl..."

* * *

Mason took a deep breath, calming his thoughts. _I'm_ not _12 year old Dipper any more. I'm 23 year old Mason, and I'm more useful than reading out of a book._

Stuffing his phone in his pocket, he slung his jacket on and moved out the door. Climbing into his truck, he started the engine and roared down the highway.

If he was a bit over the speed limit, well, no one was there to say anything.

* * *

Ford frowned.

Stan noticed.

"What?" He growled out. It wasn't really an intentional growl; that was just his voice.

"Something seems...off," murmurs Ford absently, his voice noticeably smoother than that of his twin. He had some gimmicky device in his hands and was scanning the meadow. "It _says_ that there's something supernatural here, but Bill's statue is gone."

"Okay, whatever. We're in the _forest_ of _Gravity Falls._ There's always something supernatural around here. How's the search for Bill going?"

"Not good, I'm afraid."

Stan waited, but Ford didn't elaborate.

"So...?" He prompted.

"Right! It appears the statue wasn't dragged, for one. There also appears to be no readings of other supernatural creatures being here, besides the one I mentioned earlier."

"Okay, _why_ do you keep mentioning it?!" Stan asks angrily. There are obviously more important matters at hand here.

"Because the last time I detected its presence, it was as part of Bill's statue."

 _"What?!_ Does that mean Bill's here?" Stan spun furiously, trying to locate the trilateral demon.

"No, no, stop spinning Stanley. It makes you look like a fool. Not that you need much help," he mumbles the last bit under his breath.

"What was that?" Stan's face was suspiciously red. He had probably heard.

"Nothing of consequence. Furthermore, to answer your question, the presence was part of the statue. I think it may have accidently gotten caught in the statue, somehow." Ford frowns.

"And now it's out?" Stan asked incredulously. Ford merely nodded, obviously lost in his own thoughts.

Snap.

Stan's head snapped around, eyes, old as they may be, trained on the area he had heard the sound from. He didn't see anything, but that didn't mean nothing was there.

"Stan, would you come here for a second? I require your mindless brawn."

Stan stared after the sound for a few seconds longer.

 _I_ know _I wasn't imagining it, but I suppose if it wants to come out, it will._

He moves to help his twin.

* * *

Mason's car crunched up the gravel as he pulled into the familiar parking lot of the Mystery Shack. He hadn't been here for years, but it remained unchanged. The 'S' was still hanging half hazardously over the roof, and he could peer in to see all of the strange creatures his great uncle had concocted.

Looking around, he attempted to find any of his relatives, or even Wendy.

The place was deserted. Slamming the door hard (sometimes it wouldn't close if you didn't slam it hard enough), he takes a few half-hearted steps towards the forest, before stopping. Pulling out his phone, he dialed Wendy's number.

 _"Mason, hi!"_ Wendy said as soon as she picked up.

"HI Mabel. I'm here; where should I go?"

"Um, I can come get you-"

She was cut off by Mabel snatching the phone away. He knew this because the next voice he heard was that of his twin.

" _Dipper! Go to the gnome camp, then turn left. Head that way until you see us!"_

Mason smiled. That was probably more helpful than any other directions.

"Thanks Sis."

Slinging the backpack he had grabbed onto his shoulder, he headed out into the woods, now confident of his direction.

Within 15 minutes, he had arrived. Smiling at his family and Wendy, he moved over to Ford.

"What do you think?" He asked, trying to get a handle on the situation quickly.

"It wasn't moved by outside force; that much is sure."

Mason nodded, crouching down by the area of dirt in an otherwise lush meadow. He pulled on a pair of gloves, and began shifting the plants aside, searching for any clue.

He stumbled upon it almost immediately; a small ring with a large triangular yellow diamond set in gold. He frowned, and pulled out a Ziploc bag to store it in temporarily.

Suddenly, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up and he whirled around just in time to see something leap on Mabel.

Mabel had thought it was a cat. She honestly had! Maybe she should have been more cautious, considering she was in Gravity Falls, but, well _cats!_

That thing wasn't a cat, though. It leaped on her, not even giving her enough time to cry out before its long fangs were gripping her throat, hot breath washing over her face.

* * *

 **YES! MADE IT TO 1000! Finally. Anyway, I hope you enjoy! I wrote most of it earlier, and now I shall go update other things! So, there are a few things that have backstories of their own (The text, how Mason's last phone got broken, etc.). If you want to know more about them, ask and I'll try.**


	9. Chapter 9

Before Stan, Ford or even Wendy, who was the closest, had even moved, Mason had leaped across the space and now crouched in front of the creature. It had a short pelt, mottled with shades of brown. Lavender eyes peered out from a feline face, and two tails lashed behind it. Heavy feet are placed on each side of Mabel, and sharp teeth are creasing her neck. It growls lowly, and Mason growls back. His brow is furrowed, his lip curled into a snarl. His incisors may not be as impressive, but it's a matter of principle.

He hadn't told anyone, not even Mabel or their parents, but for two years, Mason went off to live with a man whose name was Al-Qadir. He was an Arabic man, who made his living in the wild. Mason had bumped into him by accident, but it was all worth it in the end. He spent his time hunting, and facing down things like wolves, jackals, and -believe it or not- a honey badger. Al-Qadir called him Abyan.

It wasn't until he began learning Arabic that he understood that 'Abyan' meant 'obvious'. He felt slightly affronted, but it was justified. He stood out in the wilderness, blunt and, well, obvious.

Al-Qadir told him that "Even though we have no fangs, or claws, it's the principle really. Show whatever fangs you have, and you can grapple if anything." Most of what Al-Qadir taught went against everything the tour guides taught tourists.

Now, baring his small incisors against the thing, he felt relieved to have had Al-Qadir's training. Half crouched, one hand in front to balance himself, he reached the other hand forward towards the beast. It growled, but it was wounded, not angry. Defensive, not aggressive. He inched his hand forward, shifting his feet as well. The palm of his hand brushed against the creature's face, and it growled. He froze, and took the snarl off his face. Smoothing any lines, he made sure it was blank. He made eye contact, staring intensely, trying to convey that he had no ill intent.

Humans always underestimate the intelligence of animals. Slowly, slowly it lifted it's fangs off Mabel's neck and backed away. Mason lifted himself out of the crouch, and paced forward. He shifted his head to the right, bearing his neck. A vital point. Behind him, he could hear his family making a fuss over Mabel. No one was paying attention to him. The cat beast growled, unsure. Slowly, it rolled its head to the side, bearing its vitals.

Mason straightened, and moved forward. He knelt down by the beast, and it flopped down and rolled over, showing its stomach to him. He saw what had been paining the beast since it first attacked his sister. A long branch had somehow managed to impale its stomach, fortunately not in any vital places. He pulled it out, and stemmed the blood flow with his hands.

"Hey, Mabel?" He called over his shoulder. "Do you know where any bandages are?" His family finally took notice of him, and what he was doing.

"Dipper! What are you-"

"Mason! That's a highly illogical course of actions-"

"Dip-Mason! Whaddya doing, you-"

He cut them all off. "Not now! This creature needs help! I need bandaids, and something to help pull him back to the shack!" Right as he finished talking, Wendy crashed back into the clearing, holding swaths of bandages in her hands, along with a bottle of antiseptic. Mason grabbed them out of her hands, and began pouring the antiseptic onto a portion of the bandages and began dabbing at the wound. He winced when he realized that it would need to be cleaned further at the Shack.

He wraps the wound tightly. Moving in front of the creatures face, he stares into its eyes.

"I'm going to need you to get up, and walk. I know it hurts, but we need to make sure the wound is clean." Who knows how long that stick was inside him?

* * *

Arriving at the Shack, Mason quickly unwrapped the wound, and ran into the house to grab the first aid kit. Carefully pulling out thread, a needle, and a pair of tweezers, he moves over to the injured beast. Kneeling, Mason pulled a lighter he had in his back pocket and waved the tip of the tweezers through it. Taking a deep breath, he pulled out the debris he had spotted in the wound earlier. He swallowed hard, gagging slightly.

He rushes into the shack, and grabs a bag of cotton balls. Dipping them into the bottle of antiseptic, he begins dabbing gently at the wound. It took three cotton balls to get the whole thing. It wasn't wide, and maybe a little deep, but there was a lot of blood.

Pulling the thick thread through the eye of the needle, he quickly tied a knot. Lighting the lighter again, he sanitizes the needle. Taking several deep breaths in succession, he leans down to whisper in the creature's ear. "This is going to hurt. I'm sorry, but it's necessary." And then he plunged the needle into the wound.

* * *

Mason rocks back on his heels, draping his arms over his knees. Scanning the bandages, he finally relaxes. It's all good, the bandages are fine, there's no debris, the wound is stitched shut. He blows a sigh of relief, and stands up. Stan, Ford, Wendy and Mabel had gone inside and left him to deal with the three-hundred (approximately) pound cat creature. Brushing off his hands, he crosses his arms and stares sternly at the thing.

"Alright. This is what's going to happen. You are going to follow me out to a part of the forest. You will stay there, and I will bring you food, and deal with your wound until it heals. Then, after it heals, you will leave. Got that?" To his chagrin, the thing just yawned lazily, staring at him with intelligent lavender eyes. He groans in frustration, throwing his hands up into the air.

"Just follow me!"


	10. Chapter 10

Mason angrily trudged through the underbrush, scowling at everything. A tree limb swats him, and he sneers at it. A fuzzy head butts against his hand. He looks down, and soulful lavender eyes stare up at him.

"Stop it with that look! I'm supposed to be mad at you!" He snaps, throwing his hands up. The thing bumps against his right leg, looking unimpressed. He crouches down, and runs his hands across the flat head of the creature. Staring deeply into it's eyes, he sighs. "I know you're intelligent. Nod once if you understand that."

The creature dipped it's chin.

"Alright. Nod once for male, and twice for female."

One nod. Huh.

"One no, two yes. Do you have a name?"

One nod.

"Do you want a name?"

A hesitation, then two abrupt nods.

"Alright. Um, English doesn't feel right. Do you care if it's Arabian?"

He (the creature) did something surprising. He shifted his shoulders forward. Mason started.

"Did you just shrug at me?"

The thing's black lined lips parted, and it was obviously a smile. Or a smirk. Mason laughed, rocking back on his heels.

"Okay then. Well, how about Asad? It means lion."

He shook his head, not liking it. Lavender eyes blinked.

"Deneb?"

Shake.

"Asif?"

Shake.

"Azad?"

Shake.

"Bassam? Anwar? Aqil?" Mason was frustrated. He didn't know that many Arabic names.

Shake.

"Fine! Last one! Asim!" He cries, frustrated.

The cat-beast purred loudly, butting his head against Mason's chest.

"Asim? Really? Okay then." Mason blinked, surprised. Standing up, he turned and walked further into the wood. Looking back over his shoulder, he smiled.

"Come on, Asim! Let's go find you a home."

Asim stood, feeling pleased for some reason he couldn't define.

Padding through the rough pine needles, his heavy paws crunching the dry leaves, the newly named Asim ponders. He thinks about his life up until now, about all the cruel people who had mistreated him in the past. All the injuries he's had up until this point.

Asim thinks he likes Mason the best. The very best. He will do everything to protect him. He shrinks slightly, to a bit closer to his original size. His fur is a shade of burgundy, and a softer texture. His eyes are still lavander.

* * *

Wendy sighed. "Well, _that_ was interesting!"

They stared at her. "Well, it _was!_ I mean, who would have thought that Mason had it in him?" Mabel, Stan and Ford raised their eyebrows.

"Well, it was pretty surprising. Mason has shown no prior inclination of being able to perform such-"

"Yeah, yeah shut yer trap! We get it! No need to talk like that, Poindexter."

"I was merely implying that Mason may have hidden depths that we-"

They began bickering, as usual. Mabel giggled quietly to herself, but her mind was also on the topic. 'When did Dipper become so cool?'

* * *

 _Hot teeth pressed against her throat. Her eyes are wide, and she stares into the gaping maw of what she's sure is her death. Suddenly, the creature growls lightly. A shadow cast itself over Mabel, and her brother's arm stretched over the space she could see. She wished she could tell him to stop, to run far away. What he did was place his hand on the beast looming above her._

* * *

In a whirlwind of events, the thing was off and her brother was safe, and she was safe, and the thing was injured, then they were home and Mason was taking care of it and now, now their both gone.

Mabel was confused, and that was okay.

* * *

Mason stared at the upturned tree. It was _huge._ The roots formed a perfect cave-like structure, and with a little work, it would be waterproof. He grinned.

"Alright, Asim. There!" He pointed. Asim turned and stared at him, unimpressed. Mason violently gestured.

"Oh, come on! It's _perfect!_ With a little work, it could become a great home for you! I mean, look at all the space! It has structure, and if we wove grass through it, it would have a roof! Laying pine needles on the ground will provide-" He froze. The world was bleeding of color, and only he and the large cat creature had any spark of life.

He knew what this meant.

* * *

 **Hi! I'm so so so very sorry for not publishing a chapter last week, but I was camping in Yosemite with my school.**

 **For three. Days. *Sigh* Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy the new character, Asim. All the names I mentioned are actual Arabic names. Can you guess what Asim means? Anyway, I decided that I would do a double update so that you still get your total chapters. Haha! Anyway, I want you all to know I don't actually have a plot in mind. I'm just winging it. Oh well. Maybe I'll come up with something?**

 **Thank you to Bluefish, rwbygirl, and the guest for reviewing! Last chapter was 1016 words, and this one is 713, excluding the authors note. Sorry for the shortness, but it's the perfect ending! I wish I could draw Asim, but I'm not too good at animals.**

 **Do svidanya,**

 **~Rainy**


	11. Chapter 11

_Mason's eyes blinked open, and he shut them again, squeezing out the light that had infiltrated his safe zone. Waiting a couple seconds, he hesitantly opened them again. The light was less intrusive now, and he quickly scanned his surroundings. His room. How? He didn't remember walking back. In fact, he didn't remember anything. He thinks back. Walking through the woods, with Asim. Finding the uprooted tree. Then..._

 _A flash of white-hot pain hits him, and he blacks out._

* * *

Masons eyes snap open and he shoots upright, breathing heavily. Stumbling out of bed, he moves towards the bathroom. His brow creases. ' _I feel like I have something important to remember... huh.'_ He shrugs. _'Oh, well. It'll come to me eventually.'_

He plugs in his coffee pot, and peers into the fridge. _Need to go shopping soon,_ he thinks absently. Moving towards his bedroom, he grabs his phone from his bedside table. Glancing at the time, he notes that it's 5:30 in the morning. He doesn't have to get up until 6. Walking back into the kitchen, he hops up onto the counter and grabs the newspaper. His phone, beside him, vibrates. Mason raises an eyebrow, and picks it up. _One text, from Mabel._

'Mabel: _Hi Dppr! Asim wants 2 c u' _

5:32 a.m

Mason smirked, thinking of his sister and that big cat. He felt bad for going to check on the cat first, but he knew it wouldn't have hurt her. It was in pain, not angry. Plus, Mabel hates being crowded when she's upset, so he figured Stan, Ford _and_ Wendy surrounding her might be enough.

Mason: _'Haha I'll come by today. Don't let him eat the wildlife, okay?"_

5:34 a.m

Mason smiled, already thinking on how to feed the enormous cat. He could go to the store in town and buy some raw meat. That should work, for now.

Mabel: _kk luv u dip c u latr_

5:35

Rolling his eyes, he hops off the counter. _She should really work on her text talk._ Padding lightly into his bedroom, and peering into his closet, Mason composed a list of what he needed to do today in his head. _Shopping for food, and the meat for Asim. Check in at Sky Pass News, and say hi to Margaret._ He smiles, and pulls on his pants. Buttoning his green button up shirt over the black T-shirt, he yanks his socks on and tugs his shoes on over those.

Unplugging the coffee, Mason grins. He grabs his phone, and his wallet, then goes for his keys. There not on the nail by the door, though. He frowns, and scans the room. Moving quickly towards his bedroom, he finds them on the bedside table. _Huh. Strange,_ his phone vibrates in his pocket, and he jumps.

Mabel: _Hey, coming 2 u stay there_

5:43

Mason had to wonder why his sister was up at such an early time anyway.

Mason: _Just you? And why are you up so early?_

5:43

INCOMING PHONE CALL: MABEL PINES

Mason tapped the green button.

"Okay, really funny story, but last night I thought set my alarm to 6, but as it would turn out it was five. It's just me, by the way."

"Are driving and calling me right now?"

"Yeah, but it's this really cool thing where I connect my phone to my speaker and I don't have to hold it isn't that cool? I got my new car, like, a month ago and now I'm really good at driving. Oh, I had to get a new car because some punks took my last one joyriding and then they hit a tree but the tree was unstable and fell and then my car was crushed, just like my hopes and dreams and those kids necks-"

Mason smiled. His sister was very talkative, after all.

"Mabel?" He interrupts the inflow of chatter. "Do you know where I live?"

Silence.

"Uh, Sky Pass?" She tries, and Mason's smile grows.

"Where _in_ Sky Pass?"

"I... I don't know." She sounds defeated. Mason smirks.

"All right, just meet me at Sunny-side up Cafe. Oh, and introduce yourself as Pine's sister. Don't tell them that my name is Mason, okay? Call me Dipper if you want. It's a running joke."

"Will do, Bro-bro!"

Mason smiled, and locked the door. He hops into his car, and turns it on. Giving it a minute to warm up, he thinks about all that happened yesterday. Meeting Asim, finding him a home, then the interesting conversation he had with his family, and driving home, late at night. He hadn't really been planning on staying out so late, but what choice did he have? Asim was pretty important now.

* * *

 **Hi! Please don't hate me, I've finally worked out a plot. I have spent the past 10 chapters just winging it. I don't know if you noticed, but I had no plans for this. I was making it up as I go, but now I've finally decided on a general course of action. I have also decided against any pairings.**

 **I ordered Journal 3! I'm super excited. It's arriving next Friday, and I honestly can't wait. (I'm sorry about the shortness of this chapter, btw. I thought it was necessary.) So, I really like codes and stuff, so I'm trying out something new. Here you go!** **Edit: messed up the code. It's fixed now, but my pride isn't. UGH ETERNAL SHAME**

 **2-12-6-9 | 14-18-13-23 | 18-8 |** **26 |** **25-12-3**

 **The - represents a new letter. | represents a new word. Simple for now, but it'll get complex later. The key for this is M=14. N=13. Review what it is when (if) you get it! Thank you to rwbygirl, Bluefish (I'm glad you liked Ford's part. He's a personal favorite), the guest, and craftyminer. especially! I noticed you hadn't reviewd before, so I'm really happy now. Also, do you guys like Sky Pass? It's an entirely made up town.**

 **I have a tumblr now, but I haven't put anything up yet. Huh. Any suggestions for what to do?**


	12. Chapter 12

Mabel pulled into the parking lot in front of the quaint little café. After confirming that this was the right place, she stepped into the building. The woman at the counter looked up and greeted her enthusiastically.

"Hi, welcome to Sunny-Side Up Café! My name is Margaret; I'm the owner. How may I help you?" She says, and Mabel reflexively smiles.

"Hi, my name is Mabel. Um…" She hesitates on whether to tell her that she's Dipper's sister or not.

"Mabel _Pines?"_ She asks, smirking. Mabel nods once, unsure.

"Well okay then! Have yourself a seat at table 3." The woman points, and Mabel heads over. Sitting down, she observes her surroundings. The entire interior reminds her of a log cabin. Large windows encompass three walls, and ceiling fans whirl above.

Margaret, the owner, his a portly woman with regal features and thick, long silver hair that is pulled back into a bun. She walks with grace, her shoulders back and her chin tilted up. Mabel quite likes this woman.

A young blond with a name tag reading "Hello, my name is Mary Sue" steps out and towards her table. "Hi! Can I get you anything?"

"No, I'm waiting for someone."

The woman smirks conspiratorially. "A date, perhaps?"

Before Mabel could respond, the bell chimes and in walks her brother. He smiles at the young waitress and slides into the booth across from her.

"Hi Mabel. Sorry I'm late; got held up by my keys."

The waitress turns around to stare incredulously at Mabel, and she fights the urge to laugh.

"You're Mabel? Pines' sister?" She stares, flabbergasted.

"Yup!"

Recovering quickly, she leans in slyly towards Mabel. "What's his name? C'mon, you can tell me!"

Mabel smiles just as slyly. "I'm not going to tell you." She cackles madly as she leans back.

Mason smiled as he left the café. It had gone well. Mabel had decided that it was high time she see his living quarters, and shoved him out the door. He opens the door to his truck and slides in. Slamming the door to make sure it closed properly, he turns the key and rolls slowly out of his parking space. Leaping out onto the main road he glances in the review mirror to make sure his sister is following him. She is, in that little thing she calls a car.

Pulling up in front of his apartment building, he pops the key out of the ignition and opens his door. Slamming it once more, he waits for his sister to make her way over to him.

"Come on, I'll show you where I live." Walking up two flights of stairs isn't very fun, but it's better with someone to talk to. Finally reaching his floor, the third, he sees boxes piled up outside the apartment door next to his. A young man steps out, and wipes sweat off his forehead.

"Hi! My name's Mason Pines. Are you my new neighbor?" He asks the man. The man smiles and pushes his black hair out of his face. Mason thinks it looks black, anyway. "Yeah. My name's Grayson Taylor. It's nice to meet you!" Waving goodbye, Mason unlocks his door and lets his sister into his home.

"It's not really that big, but I like it so yeah. Want anything to drink?"

Mabel nods. "Orange juice."

"How do you know that I even _have_ orange juice?" He asks, rolling his eyes.

"You _always_ have orange juice; you're obsessed with the stuff." She laughs, flopping down on his couch. He pours the sweet liquid into two glasses and walks carefully into the living room. Setting one with a faint _chink_ in front of Mabel, he sets himself down in a plush chair across from the couch.

"Man, Dip, your apartment is _a lot_ nicer than that attic. I feel like I'm going to be spending a lot of time here now." She smirks deviously. "Plus, this couch is comfy." He laughs at that.

Mabel proceeds to make herself at home in his apartment, going as far as to grab his TV remotes and turning on cartoons, of all things. Later, they go out for lunch at a fast food restaurant nearby. At 5 in the afternoon, she gets a call from Stan. Mason can only hear half of it, but he's pretty good at guessing what Stan is saying.

"No, I _wasn't_ kidnapped."

"What? Who told you that?!"

"No, Grunkle Stan, I'm _fine."_

 _"_ _I'm not with my_ boyfriend! _Ewww!"_

"I'm with _Dipper!"_

"Do I have to have a reason to want to see my bro-bro?"

"Maybe I _will_ just stay here!"

"Fine! Good _bye."_

"Dip, can I stay the night?" She says, looking at him with a pout.

"Just to spite Stan, huh?" He smiles. "Sure. I'm glad you like the couch; I have spare pillows and blankets."

That night, Mason slept more comfortably than he had in years.

Waking up at 9 in the morning, the first thing Mabel noticed was that she was laying on something comfortable. The second thing she noticed was that her pillow smelled like old books and ink. Like Dipper. She sat up, rubbed her eyes, and peered around. Sitting at the island in the kitchen was Dipper, reading a newspaper and drinking coffee.

"Morning, sis." He calls to her. She just grunts, and flops back down.

Five minutes later, her mind is now up and running.

"Hey, why did you turn the TV off?" She calls over the back of the couch.

"Huh, I thought you did? Must've been on a timer; I'm not usually up late enough to find out." That's a lie; he just didn't watch TV that late.

"Oh. Huh. Well, I'm going to turn it back on and ignore you now, okay? Okay."

He hid a smile in his coffee and scanned the newspaper. Another person had gone missing in the woods… how strange.

"Do you have work today, Mabel?" he calls.

"No, it's _Saturday!"_ She snaps back, absorbed by the cringe-worthy TV drama that's playing now. "Only nerds like _you_ have work on the _weekends!"_ She swivels in her spot for a second.

" _Do_ you have work on the weekends?"

"No. I'm special that way."

"Oh, you're special all right."

 **Fluff chapter with undertones! LOOK FOR THEM, I DARE YOU! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA *coughs* alright, I'm done. Anyway, here you go. To all who said, "Your mind is a box", you are correct! This next line goes along with it.**

 **2-9-12-12/3-9-16-8-5-18/8-1-19/20-8-5/11-5-25**

 **The – is letters, the / is words. The key is 13=M, and 14=N.**

 **I'm sorry to Tharkan who reviews when I messed up the code last chapter, thank you to rwbygirl for your review (AS USUAL** **J** **), Thanks for reviewing, Quiet Leaf. I think that everyone can read a no-pairings story, but only certain people can read a pairing that they like. Thank you to Loopy Leefy, as well! I'm glad you like the story! Thank you to AnnaRooma as well. I'm glad you decided to review! Yes, I** ** _did_** **use A=1 and atbash ciphers. Thank you to the guest! And thank you to BILLCIPHER ELOOFLSKHU (sorry if I misspelled it.) Thank you** ** _ALL_** **For your continued support! This is officially my longest fic! I hope you all enjoy reading from here on out, as well.**

 **~Rainy**


	13. Chapter 13

"Hey Mabel, I'm going to go over to the new neighbor and see if he needs any help settling in. Want to come?" Mason called over his shoulder at his sister, who was staring, obsessed, at the TV.

"No, you go be a nice person by yourself bro-bro. I'm going to see what happens next on _The Duchess Approves: Reruns!_ " She cries, excited for no apparent reason. Shaking his head, Mason steps out into the hallway. Turning to the right, he sees the door to apartment 619 is open. Mason's apartment number is 618.

In the South corner of Sky Pass is the 1-299 apartments. In the East corner is the 300-499. In the North corner is the 500-699 apartments, and in the west is the 7-899. It was rather large, but necessary. There were very few houses in Sky Pass, so most everybody lived in the nice apartment buildings.

Taking a step towards the apartment next to his, Mason considered how to start a conversation with Grayson. Before he can decide on one, the man himself steps out. Turning in surprise to look at Mason, he smiles.

"Oh, hi! Mason, right? Can I help you?"

"Actually, I was wondering if _you_ needed any help?" Mason tried.

"Oh, sure! I don't really have that much stuff, but it seems to be more than I can handle. Here, I'll show you where the boxes are." Grayson stepped past Mason in the hallway, heading towards the stairs. Mason followed.

"So, Grayson, what brings you to Sky Pass?" Mason asks.

"Call me Gray. I moved here for my 21st birthday, hoping to get a job."

"Any particular interests, or are you just freelancing for a job?"

"Well, I'm good with technology if that counts for anything. And photography."

Mason was liking the guy more and more.

"Oh really? I'm a photographer myself."

"Yeah? How did you get into it?" Gray asked, obviously curious. By now they had made it to his car, a dark gray Prius.

"I don't remember, actually. When we were younger, my sister liked taking pictures more than I did. How about you?"

"Ah. When I was younger, I was obsessed with the thought that there was… weird things all around us. Like dragons and stuff. I tried taking pictures, but they don't stand still." Gray gives a thin smile.

"So, you were a mystery hunter? Me, too. I spent a summer in Gravity Falls with my sister and Great-Uncle Stan."

"Mystery Hunter. I never thought of it like that."

Turns out, they have a lot in common. When Gray turned 11, he was sent to stay with his Aunt Mary in a sleepy little town called Greenlake. After finding what he believed to be a nymph in the water, he became obsessed with finding other such creatures. He spent three years there, searching for and recording evidence of the things he found. He used a phone instead of a journal. He says he still has that thing which is weird to think about.

Four years later, at age 18, he decided to go to college. He only lasted two years before the wear and tear of college life got to him and he dropped out. He spent one year working as a reporter before he turned 21, and moved to Sky Pass, where he is now.

After Gray spilled all this in between loads from the car to his apartment, he asked about how Mason got into 'mystery hunting'. Mason had taken a deep breath, and told him almost everything. He left out how Ford had been in different dimensions for all those years, and _everything_ about Bill Cipher, including Weirdmaggedon.

"Have you ever considered starting a blog?" Gray asked.

"What?"

"A blog. For the mysteries. You could even call it that. ' _Mystery Hunter.'_ That would be cool. You could take pictures and put them up, and write articles." Gray grins, and swipes some grey hair out of his eyes. His hair was such an odd color, not black but a shade of dark ash gray. It wasn't dyed, either. He had sharp, light grey eyes as well.

Mason considered this. He could, but he wasn't really a writer.

"You took a class for writing, right? _You_ could start a blog."

"We could start one together. You do the photos, I do the articles. How about that? I _am_ in need of a job, and extra money wouldn't hurt you."

Mason smiled.

* * *

Mabel turned slowly. What was that sound she kept hearing? It was coming from the closed door next to Dipper's bedroom. He had said it was an office. Standing up quietly, she pads across the floor in her socks, stopping in front of the door. A faint light spilled out from under it, but she knew Dip was out and about so it couldn't have been him. She moves to the kitchen and grabs a knife from the block, preparing herself.

It could be a false alarm, but she'd rather be safe than sorry. Taking a deep breath, she turns the knob and opens the door.

Her mouth opens, but no sound comes out. Her eyes widen, and her brain struggles to comprehend what she's seeing.

* * *

 **Hi guys! I hope you like it! Gray is actually a character I like so far. If I ever wrote a book, do you think people would read it? The number 618 was a recurring thing in Gravity Falls, actually.**

 **Thank you to Bluefish (new profile pic?),**

 **Tharkan (hey I'm glad you're enjoying my story!)**

 **Quiet Leaf (HAHA I actually had a theory that you two were either twins or the same person! Go me!)**

 **PurpleWillowbird(You haven't reviewed before I think. Thank you, and you are correct, I messed up the cipher. I'm glad you enjoyed it anyway!)**

 **And**

 **Loopy Leefy(Haha I'm glad you enjoyed it.)**

 **My code is** **Paz'f xqf tuy gzxaow uf.**

 **My key is M/Y and N/Z**

 **I want you all to know that Sky Pass is a diamond shape with the north point facing Gravity Falls.**

 **I hope you all had a good holiday!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Mason is referred to as Dipper a lot because that is how Mabel sees him. Very short chapter, but I regret nothing. Thanks to Quiet Leaf, rwbygirl, Loopy Leefy, and BIuefish for reviewing!**

* * *

Mabel's eyes blinked open slowly, and she yawns and sits up. Running her gaze around the room, she realizes she's in Dip's apartment again. Pulling a blanket around her shoulders, she walks down the hallway towards. Dipper's bedroom door is open, and deserted, so she knocks gently on the door to his 'office'.

"Come in."

She steps in and smiles at the mess. "Hiya, Dipper." Mabel yawns.

"Well, hello there! You slept for a long time. When I got back, you were asleep. Tired?" Dipper smiled.

"Uh, I guess. I don't really know."

"Hmm. Also, did you pull out a knife? I found one on the counter but I know I didn't pull one out."

"Mmm, maybe. I don't know. I'm going to go lay down, okay?"

"Sure. I'll wake you up at dinner, okay?"

Nodding assent, Mabel starts back out down the hall. She curls up on the leather couch and rests her head on the pillow. Her head was fuzzy and aching slightly, so she was going to sleep it off.

Her dreams were strange.

 _A gaunt figure reaches out, ashen gray skin stretched too tight over a skeletal bone structure. Black eyes with white pupils peer out at her, and its mouth stretches wide to reveal a berry red tongue._

 _A creature of pure chaos, shape constantly shifting and changing, morphs around, whispering things to her._

 _A man with gray hair covers his eyes. Removing his hands, she sees blood leaking down from them. A third eye cracks open his skin._

 _Her brother falls off a cliff. Wendy is hit with a hatchet. Mabel throws up blood._

She shoots upright, breathing heavily. Glancing around, she realizes that it had gotten much later. Dipper stands in the kitchen, behind the stove. She smiles, and flops down, turning the TV on to rid herself of the post-nightmare trauma.

* * *

Mason sat on the couch by his twin, feeling rather content. He had made breakfast for dinner, and Mabel had eaten without complaint. She was surprisingly quiet. "So, how did your day with your new neighbor go?" She asked.

"It was good. He's pretty similar to us, you know. He had many strange… experiences during his summers, too."

"Oh? Sounds interesting. I'm glad you like him. It would suck to have to live by someone you don't get along with."

"Yeah. Actually, uh.."

"Yeah?"

"He suggested we start a blog together."

"Wow, you sure got friendly quickly! Weird, because you've never been very good at making friends."

"I know, right?" Mason turned to smile at Mabel, and found she was already smiling at him. They both cracked up laughing.

"So, are you going to do it?" She asked, turning a bit more serious.

He hesitates. "Maybe. I don't know, it seems like a good idea. But then again, so did giving him a 'puppet', all those years ago."

"Oh, come on! You can't live in the past! I doubt what's-his-name is an evil dream demon bent on taking over the world!" His sister cries indignantly.

"Gray. And I doubt that, too. He seems like a good guy."

"Then go for it, idiot!"

Mason smiled, and changed the channel.

* * *

Gray was sitting on his bed, his laptop out. All around him was stacks of boxes that he had yet to unpack. Tonight he just ordered take-out for dinner. Liwei's Garden was the best he had tried so far. Sticking the fork into the warm noodles and twirling them, he pulled out a clod of the delicious food.

 _Grayson_ _…_

He froze, fork halfway to his open mouth. Closing his mouth and swallowing hard, he set the food back in the container and moved it aside.

 _Grayson. Have you done what I asked?_

"Uh, no. But I'm working on it!" He snaps, angry.

 _WE ARE RUNNING OUT OF TIME! DON_ _'_ _T YOU UNDERSTAND?!_

"I'm sorry! You don't understand, I have to gain his trust first!"

 _We will have Mason Pines_ _…_

"I know, Bixhar. I know."

 **Rm amlrpmj rfc kglb ugrf dmpac gq jgic rm rcjj yl YBFB afgjb rm 'Fmjb qrgjj'. M=K and N=L**


	15. Chapter 15

**One swear word, but hey! It's Stan.**

* * *

Stan loaded the pound of beef into his car, sighing. The cat-thing ate way too much for his budget, honestly. The only reason he fed it was because he figured Mason would be pretty mad if he didn't. In Stan's opinion, the beast was more trouble than it was worth. It ate too much, lazed around all the time, and was a general nuisance!

He'd only been staying at the Shack for a week, and he had caused chaos. Every. Where.

* * *

 **Monday-**

Stan watched in horror as tourists fled, having realized that the large 'kitty' was, in fact, alive. The thing had snapped up a camera and half a shoe! Stan hadn't even _wanted_ the darn thing in the shack; it was all Ford's idea.

" _If we have to deal with the thing, then we may as well study it. I need to give it a name, too!"_ then he had walked off, deep in thought. So deep, in fact, that he smacked into a wall.

* * *

 **Tuesday-**

The Sascrotch was no more. Apparently the cat-beast thought it look good, so it ate half of it. Mabel said it was repairable, but that wasn't really the issue! The thing thinks it owns this place and can get away with anything. Stan wasn't going to let that slide!

Mason said it was intelligent, so Stan had gone up to it.

"Now listen here, you ugly brute. This is _my_ business that _I_ have spent years working on and _you_ won't mess it all up! There are things you can and can't do! You can _not_ eat the attractions. You _can_ stay perfectly still and attract tourists. You _cannot_ attack said tourists, okay? Okay."

The next time Stan saw it, it was sitting on Stan's armchair, staring smugly at Stan. Stan felt a cold chill run up his spine and then proceeded to search the entire shack for whatever the thing did. He failed to find it until Wednesday, however.

* * *

 **Wednesday-**

Stan couldn't tear his eyes away. Where there was once the words ' _Shack'_ or ' _Hack'_ , there was _nothing._ The thing had ripped _all of the lettering away!_ Now it just said ' _Mystery'_. He stomped into the shack, intent on finding his taxidermy tools.

* * *

 **Thursday-**

Thursday wouldn't have been so bad if Stan hadn't had to pay for the dang things meal. Ford refused to pitch in, Wendy had no obligation, and Mabel was Mabel and didn't have any money. Stan was worried that Soos would get himself eaten.

Feeding was becoming a hazard. Stan had tried three times to kick the thing out of the Shack but it had apparently decided that it was going to spend its days there. He slept somewhere else. Stan didn't know nor care where, as long as it was away from his home.

After feeding the beast, he spent his afternoon repairing the Sascrotch. It would never be the same, but at least it didn't look like a shark had taken a bite out of it.

* * *

 **Friday-**

Where do you _even begin_ on Friday? It ate three gnomes, two deer, and a tourist's purse, and still demanded more. Stan had watched it eyeball the Sascrotch. It ripped the _'_ _S'_ from 'Shack' again and looked like it would go for the ' _H'_ next. It had apparently trashed Ford's lab (although that one wasn't too bad), and knocked Soos off a ladder. Something needed to be done. He just didn't know what.

* * *

 **Saturday-**

"WENDY!" He hollered, waiting for her. "WEN-DEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

"I'M COMING, YA CROTCHETY OLD MAN!" She screamed back from wherever she was.

"What?!"

"Send Mason one of those messages on your phone."

She blinked. "A text?"  
"Sure, whatever you call it."

She blinked again. "Uh, what do you want it to say..?"

Stan thought for a minute. "Get your damn cat-beast out of my home. It wrecks everything!"

Wendy tapped the words in. She grinned at Stan as she added the final touches. " _Love, Grunkle Stan."_

"Yeah, yeah, whatever."

Her phone dinged a few minutes later.

"Read it to me, Corduroy."

" _His name is Akil, and he has a home out in the woods. Not my fault he took a liking to you."_

"Tell him that he saved the things life, he can take care of it!"

Several seconds of tapping.

Ding.

" _Your house, you deal with it."_

* * *

 **Hi guys! Uh, so, I don't even know what to say here, so imma just say thanks to the commenters from last chapter! Quiet Leaf, Tharkan and rwbygirl. Thanks! I'm really happy for your continued support! Also, is anyone else waiting for Voltron: Legendary Defenders Season 2?**

 **Nxvy nyfb ngr gur gnkvqrezl gbby frg, vs lbh jrer phevbhf.** **My key is Z=M and A=N. Have fun!**


	16. Chapter 16

**BIuefish: Yeah, Stan was fun to write. I'm not sure if people mind the swear words, but I figure I should warn the poor, delicate souls who do. Wow, that came out meaner than I thought it would. Uh, I like to think I incorporated it well enough that you didn't notice it. I have great plans for Akil** ;)

 **rwbygirl: Very true, although older!Dip might attract a lot of female customers.. *waggles eyebrows***

 **Quiet Leaf: It actually wasn't a filler. Haha, I have a plan written out and I need Akil to be a character. Plus, Stan has had very little love in my story which makes me sad.**

 **Kyrielich: First off, thank you for such a long review! (I'd be cool with Alien Dude, but I guess she/her?) It's cool to not like present tense, sometimes I myself can't stand it, but I'm glad you're reading despite that! I might be going fast, idk. I want people to be unattached to Gray. I wasn't really going for the whole 'build a character then screw the readers over with plot twist' thing. I'm glad you find my writing style interesting!**

* * *

Mason had never really been good at making friends, so he was honestly surprised he got along with Gray so well. Like, sure, they had some things in common, but Mason didn't usually reach out to make contact. That first day was because it was common courtesy to greet your new neighbor.

Mabel had, eventually, gone back to Gravity Falls. She had a pig to feed after all.

Mason had decided to invite Grayson over to talk about the blog idea. It was kind of weird considering they lived right next to each other, but it's not like you could talk through the walls.

A knock came from the door and he quickly opened it. Gray stood there, looking a little nervous. Mason smirked and invited him in.

"Hey, would pizza be alright?" Mason asked, looking at him.

"Sure. What do you put on it?" Gray moved towards the island in the kitchen, sitting down.

"Uh, pepperonis, black olives, heavy cheese light sauce.. and that's it, I think."

"That's all? Really?" Gray asked, raising his eyebrows in surprise. "Oh, well. To each their own, I suppose."

Rolling his eyes, Mason ordered the pizza. Pulling out two sodas, he sets one on the hard counter surface in front of Gray and walks to the living room area, grabbing his laptop. Setting it on the island, Mason moved to take a seat opposite of Gray.

"So, were you serious about the blog thing?" He asked. It's best to figure this out first.

"Yeah, I don't see why not. I mean, if we know about things like this, then shouldn't other people as well? These things can be dangerous, and hurt normal people."

Mason raised an eyebrow. He had the birthmark, so of course _he_ was a little weird, but Gray hadn't shown any signs of an irregularity.

" _Normal_ people?"

"People who haven't _seen._ " Gray said, waving it away casually. Mason could see his shoulders tense slightly though. _Lie. A good one, but still a lie._ He notes, tucking that away for later.

"Hmm. How would we do it though? Like, do you want to set up a whole website or is there other things we can do?" Mason asked. He'd never tried anything like this before.

"Actually, I don't know. Maybe we should look into that...?"

Mason nodded, sliding his laptop in front of him. The doorbell rang, so he stood up and answered. The pizza was here. He smiled, paid, and closed the door again.

Gray was still at the island, looking slightly awkward. "Foods here, as you can see." Mason smiled, and slid his computer across to the corner again. Moving into the living room, he grabs the remote to the TV and turns on a crime show. There seems to be a lot of those on TV lately. Turning the volume up, he heads back into the kitchen and pulls out paper plates. Passing one to Gray, he slides a piece of pizza onto his own.

Roughly 15 minutes pass in silence, or as silent as it can get when you're watching an action-packed crime show. Mason turns to talk to Gray when his cell phone rings.

 _Incoming Call: Ford Pines_

Mason blinked. He had only just gotten his phone number out to his family, and got their phone numbers in return, so he hadn't really been expecting a call anytime soon.

"Hello?" He asks, curiously.

" _Ah, Mason. This is Ford, but I suppose you already knew that."_

Forgetting he was on the phone for a minute, he nodded. Glancing at Gray to make sure he didn't see that, he was pleased to see that is friend- acquaintance? Neighbor? Whatever- hadn't seen his momentary lapse.

"Yeah. Did you need something?"

" _Yes. Stanley would have called, but he is a little, ah, tech-impaired."_

Mason smiled. He could see that.

" _Yes, anyway, it's about the...cat. It's time you did something about it. Stan has decided that if you don't deal with it, it will help replace the attractions it has decimated."_

Mason paled. He could see that, too.

"Uh, how long do I have?"

" _2 hours, give or take."_

Mason nearly dropped his phone.

"AH, okay! Thanks, Ford, I will, um, be right there? I guess. Bye!" He quickly hung up. Gray had noticed his plight, and turned to him.

"I'm having a bit of an issue right now. There's this.. actually, why don't you just come along? Let me go grab my shoes, and we can head off." Mason called over his shoulder. Passing his office, he decided to duck in and grab his camera, too.

"Uh, where are we going, exactly?" Gray called.

"Gravity Falls."

"Why?"

"You'll see." Mason smirked, thinking about Gray's reaction.

* * *

Stan paced onto the front porch, his twin chasing after him.

"Stanley, if you would hold still for one second you would know that our great-nephew Mason is in transit and will soon be able to put a stop to the beasts- _Stan you put that back RIGHT now!"_

"Why? I need more attractions, anyway!" He growled, staring his brother in the face. Right at that moment, Mason's truck pulled up. Ford suppressed a sigh of relief. He didn't think he would have been able to hold off the thing for much longer, anyway.

Mason slid out of the drivers seat, slamming the door. To Ford and Stan's surprise, another person slid out of the passenger side. He had dark hair, and wide, curious eyes. He looked about Mason's age, wearing a long sleeved black shirt and casual jeans.

"Mason, who is this?" Ford asked. "I thought I specifically mentioned that we had a situation to deal with. A _family_ situation."

"Don't worry, Ford. He knows." Mason smiled, raising one eyebrow.

"Hmm. How much did you tell him?"

"Nothing. He had his own adventures as a kid. He's my neighbor."

"How about your thirteenth birthday?" Ford asked, unsure what to reveal.

"Never mind all that. Where's the, ah, 'situation'?" Mason grinned at Ford's terminology.

"Probably scarin' away good customers from my, humble, honest shop!" Stan claims, throwing his hands into the air.

"Don't push it, Stanley." Ford sighed, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.f

"What, me? I don't know what your talking about!" Stan's grin said otherwise.

Mason rolled his eyes and brushed past them. Heading into the Mystery Shack, he immediately spots Wendy behind the counter.

"Sup, Wendy?" He greets, waving casually. He can hear Gray following him, and hides a smile.

"Yo, Dipper! Ah, sorry. Mason. Who's that?" She asks, leaning back in her chair.

"This is Gray. I figured he might like to meet the beast." He winked at her. From where Gray was standing, he couldn't see it.

Wendy obviously caught his meaning, and smirked.

"Yeah, but we ran out of protective gear so you'll just have to go it alone. Best of luck to ya!"

Gray's face was slightly pale. "Uh, wait, isn't that important?"

"Nah, you'll survive. Probably," Wendy mutters the last bit under her breath.

"C'mon, I bet _it's_ hungry."

Grabbing a pound of beef from Stan's freezer, he leads Gray towards the forest. Having noticed the lack of _Akil_ in the shack, he figured the only place the huge cat-beast could be was the forest.

Reaching the clearing, he was rewarded with the large beast grunting at him.

"Hey, Akil! Come on, buddy, I brought you some food!" Holding the meat up, he tosses it. Even though he's only fed Akil a few times, it's not too difficult. A _whoosh_ fills the clearing as a blur of purple fur shoots past,following its meal.

"He's pretty cool, huh?"

* * *

Mason looked at Gray in the corner of his eye. Gray was sitting in the passenger seat of his truck, flicking through the pictures Mason had taken.

Pulling into the parking lot, Mason decided that he could trust Gray. They were friends, now.

He says goodbye to his new friend in the hallway in front of their doors, and is about to step into his apartment when Gray stops him.

"Hey, Mason?" he sounds hesitant, unsure. Mason steps out, and closes his door. Turning to Gray, he lifts his lips in a half smile.

"Yeah?"

"Does the name Bill Cipher mean anything to you?"

* * *

 **Hi guys! I didn't get to go to the library today because I was sick, but here's your update anyway! My fortune cookie said 'A shooting star tonight will bring you good luck tomorrow' and I was like, OoO MABEL**

 **Mrgzn majneoz ran gjhn dxa zkrodv, hnncjel pgdzn yd xz vkjgn vn vrgh je ykn zxezkjen, qxy gnrwjel xz vkne vn padzz jeyd ykn zkron.**

 **M=U and N=V & ATBASH**


	17. Notice

Okay guys I have no clue if any of you will see this but I am no longer active on this account, unfortunately. If any of you actually liked my works, you can find me OHSQUASH on ao3 and fingertolips on Tumblr. Sorry if you were waiting for updates.

I may still write a few more chapters for this fic, but not sure. Sorry for being a cop-out.


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